Bioclimatic architecture in thermal energy efficiency of sustainable urban residential buildings in developing countries: A synthesis review in Iran

Reliable research results that support energy efficiency polices for urban residential buildings, especially in developing countries like Iran, are crucial for tackling national and international challenges associated with energy consumption growth and promoting sustainability. Passive bioclimatic architecture strategies for traditional buildings have been recommended in individual studies as a solution for contemporary architecture, but inconsistencies such as today's urban policies have meant that individual studies have provided limited benefits to stakeholders and support programs compared to reviews. Thus, establishing a cumulative knowledge base of combined traditional and contemporary strategies is a necessity for transferring background knowledge to various stakeholders. This study aimed to create a knowledge base accumulated from the overlap of bioclimatic architectural strategies and alternative sustainability strategies considered in Iranian literature within the scope of thermal energy assessments of contemporary urban residential buildings. A systematic synthesis review method alongside thematic analysis screened 573 articles sourced from Scopus and Google Scholar between 2010 and 2024, resulting in the synthesis and categorization of 111 articles. The synthesis demonstrated that, a limited number of studies have directly addressed the application of bioclimatic architectural strategies in contemporary buildings. The impact of urban issues on contemporary selected strategies has received less attention than in the past. The selection of acceptable strategies is influenced by the analysis of different data ranging from climate, architecture, construction, urban planning to individual behavior and policy, economics, etc. However, the envelope is the priority of most contemporary assessments. Future interdisciplinary research can offer effective and prioritized strategies for assessments by developing preliminary frameworks based on real data analysis.